Community First: All the Biggest Announcements from TwitchCon Rotterdam 2026

Twitch used its TwitchCon Europe keynote in Rotterdam to outline a wide range of updates focused on streaming quality, creator growth, monetization, and community features. The company said Twitch remains centered on connection and belonging, while livestreaming has grown into a major part of pop culture across gaming, sports, music, IRL, and entertainment. Twitch also announced that TwitchCon Europe will move to Berlin on May 22-23, 2027, with ticket waitlists expected to open first for interested attendees.

The keynote highlighted how creators continue to shape culture on Twitch, pointing to recent large-scale events such as GP Explorer in France, The League Awards in Munich, QSMP Season 2, and a charity stream from Iceland that raised more than $60,000 for Save the Children. Twitch said these examples show how creators are expanding livestreaming into new forms of live entertainment and community-driven storytelling.

Several product updates are aimed at improving the viewing experience. Dual Format will let streamers broadcast in both horizontal and vertical layouts at the same time, giving mobile viewers a full-screen vertical view while desktop viewers keep the traditional horizontal format. Twitch said the feature uses Enhanced Broadcasting technology and will roll out server-side transcoding support for Partners and many Affiliates next month. Twitch also said 2K streaming at 1440p will launch to all Partners and Affiliates in June, alongside higher bitrate support for sharper, more consistent video.

Twitch is also changing how viewers discover live content. Notifications will soon become more dynamic, including updates when a streamer changes games, brings on a guest, or hits a major community milestone. A new stream summary feature will generate short recaps to help viewers catch up after joining midstream.

Clips are another major focus. Twitch is expanding Auto Clips, which automatically creates captioned clips from strong moments in a stream using signals such as chat activity, voice changes, and on-screen action. The platform said Auto Clips significantly increases the chance that a streamer will have shareable clips after a broadcast. Captions for clips will begin rolling out next week, and Twitch Stories will surface the best clips from a stream starting in June, making it easier for creators to share highlights and for viewers to catch up.

On monetization, Twitch announced new rewards and sponsorship tools, including Creator Badge Drops, special Hype Trains, GIF support for higher-tier subscribers through a partnership with GIPHY, and a “Gift Em All” feature that can gift subscriptions to all eligible viewers watching a streamer. Creator Sponsorships and Bounty Board are also expanding, with more opportunities for Affiliates. Twitch said Gameplay Ads and Streamer-Led Promotions are also growing, while Drops will get a better user interface. Streamers in eurozone countries will also see lower payout costs as Twitch removes currency conversion fees for SEPA payouts.

The company also emphasized community safety and belonging. Mod Appreciation updates include a new chat badge application, Mod Anniversaries, and smarter AutoMod detection. Twitch is also expanding its Unity Guilds by adding Asian, Disability, and Indigenous Guilds.